32 VARIETIES OF NOCTU^E 



" Engramelle figures another variety (594, c.d.), which is of a reddish 

 tint. I have never seen it " (I.e.). The type is thus described by 

 Linnaeus : " Noctua spirilinguis cristata, alis deflexis : superioribus 

 fuscis A aureo inscriptis " (<Sy sterna Naturae,' xth., p. 513). A variety 

 with very dark ground colour was exhibited at the meeting of the 

 South London Entomological Society, held Aug. 23rd, 1888, where we 

 read : " Mr. K. South exhibited a melanic example of Plusia gamma, 

 and called attention to a curiously serrated line on the hind margin of 

 the primaries, which formed a distinct metallic W " (* Proc. Sth. Lond. 

 Ent. Soc.,' 1888, p. 61). 



a. var. pallida, mihi. This is Guenee's var. A, which he describes 

 as follows: "Of a very pale whitish-grey colour. This form is 

 sometimes bred from the larva, but only rarely " (' Noctuelles,' vol. vi., 

 p. 349). 



(3. var. rufescens, mihi. Mr. Freer was good enough to send me a 

 series of this species captured on Cannock Chase, in which the red was 

 much more pronounced and occupied more space than usual, at any rate 

 much more so than in the other specimens in my series. This form 

 appears to be Haworth's gamma var ./3 of which he writes: "Alis satura- 

 tioribus, minus argenteis, rubedine magis niixtis, gamma grsecorum 

 absolute aurea, nee argentea. Stigmatibus ordinariis exacte ut in iota 

 var. y, atque similiter tenuissime aureo circumcinctis " (' Lepidoptera 

 Britannica,' p. 257). 



Plusia, Och., ni, Hb. 



Guenee writes of this : " The North American specimens are a 

 little darker, and the designs more mixed up with the ground colour, 

 but they do not appear sufficiently different to make a distinct species. 

 I have also seen the remains of a specimen from Senegal, which does 

 not appear to differ from the others. It is to be observed that in this 

 species the abdomina of the males is terminated by a tuft of fawn- 

 coloured scales, with which are united two lateral fascicles of the same 

 colour, which originate on the fifth segment " (' Noctuelles,' vol., vi., 

 p. 349-350). I should not be at all surprised if Guenee's remarks on 

 the North American specimens, referred actually to what is now 

 considered Plusia brassicce, Kiley. The following is the description I 

 made of Hiibner's type: "Smaller than any other of our British 

 Plusice, approaching more nearly to interrogation^. Anterior wings of 

 a glaucous tint with the abbreviated and complete basal line ochreous ; 

 the orbicular and reniform slightly brownish ; the y mark complete, 

 placed under the orbicular ; a small dark patch under the reniform ; 

 the elbowed line pale : the subterminal consisting of a single black 

 wavy line; outer area beyond subterminal brownish. Hind wings 

 dark grey, base pale, distinct lunule " (' Sammlung europ. Schmet.,' 

 fig. 284 (wow 286). Mr. Newman writes : " The palpi are porrected, 

 but scarcely ascending, the second joint is scaly, but not densely so ; 

 the terminal joint slender and pointed ; the antenna are simple ; the 

 costal margin of the fore wings is straight nearly to the tip, when it 

 is slightly bent and somewhat pointed ; their colour is grey, mottled 

 and marbled with sepia- brown ; this darker colour occupying the 

 median area of the wing, and containing a dull silvery mark supposed 

 to bear a resemblance to the Greek 7 or English y : the hind wings 



